


Something Stupid

by Butterfrogmantis



Category: Les Schtroumpfs | The Smurfs
Genre: F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-16
Updated: 2021-02-16
Packaged: 2021-03-18 11:13:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,619
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29488830
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Butterfrogmantis/pseuds/Butterfrogmantis
Summary: Working with an interspecies relationship had always been hard for Handy, made more so by the ever apparent lifespan difference between Smurfs and Mermaids. With Marina getting older by the year, the Smurf comes to realise it may be time to finally let go. Whilst struggling with a broken heart in a village full of happy couples, Handy finds a mutual ear with his friend Clumsy, who understands the pain of having to let someone go, but with the added struggle of having to care for two Smurfling twins that he's ill-equipped for. Between the chaotic daily life of the village and his new found distraction, Handy finds forgetting his heart break isn't as easy as it seems, whilst Clumsy is struggling to not say something stupid to the friend he's relying on ...
Relationships: Schtroumpf Costaud/La Schtroumpfette | Hefty Smurf/Smurfette, Schtroumpf Maladroit / Schtroumpf Bricoleur | Clumsy Smurf / Handy Smurf, Schtroumpf Maladroit/Tempête | Clumsy Smurf/Smurfstorm
Kudos: 1





	Something Stupid

**Author's Note:**

> This is just ,,, really quick, loose fiction, so if the style seems a bit wishy-washy it mostly is but enjoy anyway XD Just wanted it off my chest

Violet.

The most stunning shade of deep violet, tumbling in waves around the jade green shoulders.

How Handy missed it. He could still see it now, illuminated ever so softly by the glow of moonlight. That had been the last time he’d seen her, months ago, and the memory was still fresh in his mind.

Oh for a Smurf to be in love with a mermaid – it was unusual, unnatural even, at least according to certain others in the village. Handy hadn’t cared, at least not for a while. He was young, in the prime of his Smurf and in love, the feeling had kept him warm on the coldest nights and made each new invention worth the effort, so sure he was getting closer to the final answer. Years passed, Handy had watched his friends fall in love, get married, have Smurfling deliveries of their very own, and still he waited. Waited for the right invention, the right time, the right spell, for the opportunity to join his friends in the Valentines dances and see his kids grow up. He’d waited too long.

A Smurf could live up to a thousand years thanks to their magical long life stone. Not many other fae could reach such a time, fairies got 400 years if they were lucky, Goblins and elves could get to about 600 and more magically inclined creatures like Will-o-Wisps could almost compete with a Smurf if they were particularly healthy, but a mermaid? A mermaid couldn’t keep up, at least not without magical alteration. Handy was still a fairly young Smurf even now at 300 years of age, certainly a nice mature age for the species, but seeing Marina age rapidly over the last two centuries had been a shock. She was still beautiful to him, Handy would always think so, but there was a certain solemnness to her on their last meeting. Her scales were duller, her eyes a little more sunken, a couple of grey hairs ran through her violet tresses and she wasn’t as fast as swimming as she had been a century before. Handy looked past these as minor changes and tried to enjoy the moment but something had been off. Marina lacked her usual enthusiasm and hadn’t responded to his normal playfulness. It had worried him, almost as though he could sense something was about to happen.

“Handy … I need to talk to you”

The Smurf gulped.

“W-what is it, Marina? Is everything alright?”

He held her hand gently, noting at the slight frailty of her skin.

“It’s my father, Handy. He … he passed away. Two days ago”

The Smurf felt a twinge of sadness tug at his own heart, he had liked the old king and knew how much he meant to his daughter.

“Oh Marina I’m … I’m so sorry.”

The mermaid glanced down at her reflection in the water, unsure of how to form her next sentence.

“I-I’m coping. I think. Thing is Handy” She inhaled, a long drawn out sound that threatened to turn into a sob “I’m the queen of Atlantica now. My people are relying on me more than ever”

Handy was silent, aware only of his trepidation and the soft crash of the ocean waves.

“They’ll want me to marry, Handy. To secure the throne”

More waves crashing.

“I don’t want to Handy but … it’s a matter of duty. I’m not a young mermaid anymore, if I can’t present an heir then the kingdom may fall to other forces”

A sigh. A deep, tremulous sigh. And then Handy spoke.

“I … think I understand.”

“You’re a young Smurf, Handy. You have your whole life ahead of you. I can’t keep up, not anymore”

There were tears now, from both parties. They embraced, blue skin against green in the moonlight as they allowed the realisation to dawn over both of them.

“So is this goodbye?”

“I don’t want to call it that but … I’m not sure. It might be better”

“What if I can still find a way? I could go back to the village right now, dig up my old plans, improve my submarine and-”

“Handy” Marina whispered softly, laying her hand atop her lover’s. “I love you. And your inventions. But it’s not enough”

The Smurfs shoulders were shaking now, uncontrollable sobs escaping his throat as he pressed his forehead against the back of her hand.

“I love you too Marina but … I understand. Maybe I won’t forgive myself for not finding something sooner but … but I understand. I think. One day I’ll forgive myself anyway”

“You don’t need to be forgiven, Handy. You have other things – BETTER things for you, ones that won’t be bound by common laws of nature or duty. As long as you promise not to forget me, that’s all the forgiveness I ask for”

“I wouldn’t forget you if I lived for a million years more” Handy kissed the back of her hand tenderly “And don’t you forget me either”

“Never” The mermaid smiled, pressing one last kiss to his lips before gliding back through the water. “Atlantica will always honour the Smurfs” She smiled, waved forlornly, and was gone. Handy stared after the ripple she left long after it diffused into calm waters again. That was the first night in 30 years he’d cried himself to sleep.

BANG.

Handy was jolted back to his senses by the loud noise.

CLANG.

There was a small series of them after that, like a domino of smaller crashes as what sounded like a whirlwind hit the inside of his workshop. Through the deafening silence that followed after, he heard a small ‘Oops’. He buried his face in his palm. No whirlwind then, just two little Smurflings.

“Alright guys, what did you do this time?”

The Smurf opened the door to his workshop and took in the sight of the chaos before him. His tools, which had been neatly stacked on the shelves that morning were now laying strewn about across the floor in random places, and the two boys stood in the middle of the clutter, looking as guilty as a dog next to a chewed up slipper.

“Um, Crash wanted to see your new saw so I offered to give him a leg up and-”

“Liar, YOU were the one who wanted to see the saw”

“Did not, it was you!”

“Liar, liar Smurf on fire-”

Handy held up a hand for silence. He liked the twins, but he could see why they’d been such a struggle for Clumsy to wrangle after his girlfriend left.

“Alright, it doesn’t matter who ‘did’ it, let’s just clean up, ey?”

The two Smurflings nodded eagerly and set about darting over the shop collecting up their mishap and handing them back to the adult Smurf to put back on the shelf. For the past couple of months, Handy had been looking after the twins as a sort of part-time distraction. He’d always gotten along with the village kids, even apprenticed one of them on occasion, but he had a slightly softer spot for the younger ones. Crash and Bolt were as much as trouble as their name promised but they were sweet kids, and made up for their calamities by being endearing. Plus Handy didn’t mind giving his friend a break from them every once in a while, it was the least he could do.

“Alright guys, what’s on the fun schedule for this afternoon?”

“Oh! Oh!” Bolt shot his hand up, almost slapping his brother in the process “I wanted to go to the beach!”

Handy glanced out the window, it was a little overcast but Weather Smurf had predicted sunny skies for mid-afternoon. Then again … going to the beach would mean seeing the ocean, the last place he’d seen Marina before they parted ways. He heard himself gulp, but the twins were looking up at him hopefully and Handy couldn’t bring himself to break their little hearts over his adult issues, so he forced a smile and told them to gather their beachwear. He watched their little blue tails bob out of sight before he allowed himself to cry.

The sun was indeed hot that afternoon, perfect for beach activities. Handy sat back on the sand under the shade of a parasol with his knees tucked under his chin. His ears twitched at every little sound on the open space. The sloshing of the tides, the caw of a seagull high above, the slight whistle of the wind the cheerful cries of his wards. Since they were in sight and safe, Handy allowed his mind to wander for a few moments, reflecting back on not the last time he’d met Marina but the first, and how special that moment still was to him. He figured it might help with the pain of losing her if he let himself remember the good times they’d shared, knowing she was still a part of his mind. He’d first met her when he’d rescued her from the river Smurf and brought her back to the village to heal. It had taken a while for her to heal but they’d found themselves mutually attracted quite quickly. He missed her little giggle.

There was a flurry of footsteps and sand as Bolt came running up the beach holding on to his knee, bringing Handy out of his daydream once again.

“Handddyyyy – I smurfed my knee on a rock down there, do you have a plaster?”

“Oh, um, sure thing sport” Handy reached for the beach bag and took out a small tube of antiseptic and a plaster. “Lie in the shade for a while too, your shoulders look a little pink”

Bolt nodded in agreement and sat next to the adult on the towel, dabbing at his wound with a small loth that Handy passed to him. Handy turned his attention back to the ocean, squinting into the distance for a sight he knew wouldn’t be there.

“You alright Mr.Handy?”

“Hm? Oh uh, yes Bolt. Just thinking”

“Oh. You’ve seemed kind of sad recently, are you missing that fish friend of yours?”

Handy sighed.

“Yes … I am. We … well, things happen, sport. I won’t get to see her again”

“Oh ….. Never?”

“Probably”

“Oh” The Smurfling said again, checking his cloth. There were a couple moments silence. “I think I’d be sad too if I never saw mom again”

Handy looked over, surprised. He didn’t like to delve into his friend’s business so he tried not to think about it too much, somehow it hadn’t occurred to him that Crash and Bolt were plenty old enough to have their own feelings on the matter, they weren’t toddlers anymore.

“At least she can still come to see you though, right?”

“Mhmn” Bolt applied the cream and plaster “Sometimes, if she’s not um, ‘routing’”

“Scouting?”

“That’s the word. It’s kind of lonely though, I heard dad crying the other night”

That hurt Handy inside, a little. He cared deeply about his friends and Clumsy was one of the most cheerful Smurfs he knew. He still didn’t feel exactly right probing into his complicated relationship whilst he wasn’t there but … his curiosity and concern had both been peaked.

“Over … over your mom?”

“Yeah, I think. I guess he misses her, like you miss your fish friend. Tho I guess mom will come back whenever she’s done with … whatever she’s doing. Anyway, my knee feels much better now, can I go play again?”

“Put on some sun cream and you play as long as you like, kiddo”

The child grinned and complied eagerly before running back to join his sibling in creating the largest sandcastle they could, leaving Handy on the sand to feel not only his own grief, but to share Clumsy’s too.

The sun had begun to set as the three of them walked back to the village. Handy had done his best to keep the Smurflings from frying up in the sun but their shoulders and the tips of their ears were a bit pinker than they should have been. Still, they’d had fun and that’s what counted.

Clumsy was waiting by the door when they returned, so the twins ran ahead of Handy and threw themselves into a hug. Handy stayed back a little, feeling awkward, like he was witnessing an intimate family moment he knew he wasn’t part of, even if only a hug.

“Gee uh, alright boys, put the wet clothes outside and uh, I’ll getcha something to eat”

Crash and Bolt ran ahead to do just that, the hunger from the long day finally catching up to them.

“Thanks again Handy, ah dunno what ah’d do without cha” Clumsy smiled up at his friend, his silhouette illuminated by the cosy glow of the inner light. Handy could see a table laid out for three just behind him, and it stung a little but he wasn’t quite sure why. Perhaps because he knew he’d be returning home to a one Smurf supper that evening, or perhaps because Bolt’s words about his mom had struck a chord, he wasn’t sure.

“Ehe, it’s no problem, Clumsy, they’re quite easy to manage really”

“Still, ah’d be fallin’ off ma Smurf without somesmurf to look after em – uh, more than unusual ah mean” 

The twins had returned from hanging their beachwear outside and were sitting eagerly at the table.

“Handy! You should stay for dinner!” Crash called from inside the house, looking hopeful, and his brother made a noise of agreement.

“Oh, thanks guys but I wouldn’t want to be a bother-”

“Yer no bother at all!” Clumsy beamed, opening his door a little wider “Ah’d hate ta not reward ya fer your hard work!”

“Mm I don’t know if I’d call it hard work-” Handy muttered, but allowed himself to be dragged inside by his friend, concealing a little smile as he pulled a fourth chair to the table.

It was a much cosier evening than Handy had had for a long time. Most of his recent meals had been in the dining hall served by Greedy or Chef, or sometimes he’d find himself something and eat in his workshop throughout the day. He used to eat with his friend Hefty regularly, but since the Smurf had settled down with village sweetheart Smurfette, Handy felt slightly awkward interrupting them and the family dinners. In short, he just generally felt like a bother when he was around other Smurf families. He knew he was needed in the village for his manual skills and his friends appreciated him, but there was something slightly awkward about realising just how much his friends had changed and grown in the time he’d spent attempting to devise ways to spend with his aquatic lover. Part of him wondered, deep down, if he’d wasted some of his years. No, he felt guilty for even thinking that – how could his time with Marina possibly have been ‘wasted?’ she was his true love after all, the one he dreamt of. He still had one of her lockets now, carefully wrapped up in a silken handkerchief and placed under his pillow. It seemed to soothe his recent bad dreams.

Clumsy’s house had been … cheerful. The three of them were also coping with a similar grief to Handy, perhaps not to the same extent but they’d always been but something similar. Through the cheeriness Handy could sense the almost ghost-like absence. Pictures of SmurfStorm were dotted about the room, hanging in picture frames and on the wall, many of them staring straight out into the room, as though she was judging Handy for being there. The Smurf only knew a little about her situation – he’d heard from Hefty that she and Clumsy had broken up for work related reasons, and the twins had told him that their mom had to do a lot of scouting for the grove, but that was all Handy knew so far. He hadn’t directly interacted with SmurfStorm much, he knew she was a strong, fierce gal and honestly questioned her relationship with Clumsy to begin with but it wasn’t his business. All he knew, and needed to know, was that her absence was the reason he was looking after the twins so much.

Crash and Bolt were at that awkward age for Smurflings were they could be left to their own devices to a certain extent, but having an adult within at least sight was generally recommended, doubly so for the fact the twins were susceptible to to cause destruction or at the least, disturbance in the village if left unattended. Clumsy on his own was rather accident prone himself and had been struggling to wrangle them for a while. Handy was (now) single and childless and had plenty of free time if he wasn’t fixing stuff around the village and had agreed to look after them once as a favour. Once had turned into twice, twice into thrice and thrice into weekly visits so that Clumsy could get other essential house work and free time, and it gave Handy an excuse to think about something other than his heartbreak for a few hours.

The clock on the wall sprang forth a cuckoo with a 9pm announcement and the four of them looked up. The twins had a little disappointed look on their faces as they realised what the sound meant, but got up from their chairs dutifully and scuttled off towards the back of the house.

“Heh, those boys are well trained” Handy joked, finishing the last of his drink.

“It wasn’t easy” Clumsy giggled in agreement, collecting up the plates “Heh, Stormy did most of that”

Handy blinked, and decided to just give a friendly smile.

“Here um, let me, it’s the least I can do-” He got to his feet, taking the plates from his friend.

“Golly uh, thanks! … It’s not cause you think ah’ll break em is it?”

“Oh uh, no! No I just wanted to be a good house guest. You let me stay so I’ll repay the favour”

“Well that’s sure nice of ya” Clumsy smiled softly, his cheeks slightly pink. “Stormy always say ah’m like a Smurf in a china shop – oh no, ah agree sometimes, mah name is Clumsy after all-” He said quickly to calm the alarmed look on his friends face “She just has a uh, teasin’ o’ humour. Ah don’t mind that”

Handy kind of saw her point, but didn’t voice it.

“Besides it’s been a few months since we last saw her, so uh, ah guess ah’m getting better at not breaking the plates so often, it just took a lil practise”

“Oh um, any word from her then?”

“Well … when the letters arrive. Ah’ve been missin’ her something myself but the boys-”

As if on cue, Crash and Bolt came running back into the room, now in their cotton pjs, cutting off the end of their dad’s statement.

“We’re ready!” They said in unison, looking expectantly at Clumsy.

“Oh uh, gimme a minute, Handy-”

“Maybe Handy could tuck us in!” Bolt suggested, surprising both of the adults and making Handy blush slightly.

“Oh uh, I’m not sure that’s a good-”

“Pleaseeeee, Handy?”

“Well, just this once-”

The kids cheered and ran up to hug Handy. It was … nice. Felt somewhat personal but Handy had a soft spot for them after all, so he didn’t mind. It was great to feel appreciated, and it gave him a warm glow inside. They might not have been Handy’s kids but he felt a certain level of protectiveness over them for all the time they’d spent together now. 

Glancing at his friend for permission, Handy allowed himself to be led to the back of the house where the twins scrambled to their respective bunk beds. He pulled the covers up to them, feeling a little awkward, but smiled at them best he could as he ruffled each of their heads.

“Goodnight guys, smurfy dreams-”

“Handy?”

“Yes Bolt?”

The Smurfling snuggled up to his teddy bear, two eyes shining in the semi darkness. The adult couldn’t help but notice yet another picture of Smurfstorm on the bedside stand.

“What are we doing tomorrow?”

“Oh, uh, we’ll just have to see” Handy smiled, turning the light off. “Sleep well guys”

“Night, Handy”

“Night night, Handy”

The Smurf closed the door with a soft click and let out a small sigh. Sweet kids. He couldn’t help feel a little pity for them. Despite their optimism, he could feel their pain. He made his way back to the kitchen where Clumsy had finished the washing up.

“Ah, sorry about that”

“Oh, it was no trouble” Clumsy smiled. “Ah would have done it anyway – can ah getcha anythin’? Smurfberry juice?”

“Perhaps a small glass” The other smiled, sliding into his seat back at the table. He was quiet for a couple of seconds “You know, Clumsy, those boys sure are something”

“Oh, did they pester you too much?” Clumsy blinked anxiously, seating himself in the adjacent chair and passing his friend a drink “They’re good kids but ah guess they can come on a little strong sometimes, especially to ol-”

“No, no, it was a compliment” Handy promised, taking a sip of his juice “You two must be real proud of them”

“Ehe, I sure am” Clumsy smiled, looking down at his glass. He hadn’t said anything yet, he was afraid of doing so, but he had started feeling a … certain way, about his friend. Maybe between all the extra time they spent together or Handy’s tender nature with his kids, Clumsy had been feeling something for a while. He still loved SmurfStorm, which was the hard part. They’d agreed to split so she could continue her vital scout work for the Smurfy Grove, Clumsy was free to find another partner if he wanted too. He’d never been the sharpest tool in the village, but he had enough sense to hold back on blurting out a confession from the blue, he valued his friendships and the help he was receiving more than a potential slip up, so he kept his lips sealed and tried not to say something stupid.

“Well, I’d hate to intrude on you any more than I already have” Handy said at last, getting to his feet.

“Oh um, let me walk you home-”

“Oh, you don’t have to do that”

“It’s the least ah can do!” Clumsy giggled, remembering the one time he’d gone a little overboard in his efforts to repay his friend.

The night was cool and quiet, and apart from the gentle hubbub inside the other houses, there wasn’t much noise to be heard. Handy could see silhouettes of other families in the windows, playing board games or talking amongst themselves. It looked so welcoming.

“Actually, Clumsy, I think I’ll take a little walk down to the pier if that’s alright with you”

“Uh, sure thing! Ah’ll come with ya!”

Handy smiled gratefully and took a right turn to his intended destination, plucking at a flower bush as he walked past. The two stood on the platform staring out at the lapping waves below. It was a peaceful moment, he inhaled deeply, taking in the scent of the salty ocean below them.

“… Yer thinkin’ about her, aintcha?”

Handy sighed, watching as the cloud of his breath diffused into the darkness.

“Well, yes. Truth be told I don’t think they’ll be a minute for the rest of my life when I don’t”

He sat down on the edge, swinging his legs off the side so they dangled just above the water. He started picking at the petals of his flower, watching as they floated down and rested on the calm surface.

“I knew it was silly from the start, me being a Smurf and her being a mermaid and all … I’m not sure, I think it just hurts that I … that I wasted my life. Trying too hard to search for a solution that would never happen”

Clumsy gulped, unsure of how to approach his friend.

“I don’t mean to sound ungrateful it’s just that … I envy the village. I-I” fresh tears had started to form in Handy’s eyes.

“Tonight – well, recently in general. I know you guys are missing SmurfStorm but … you all have each other and it’s just … nice”

Clumsy felt his own eyes get a little wet from how heart broken his friend sounded. He sat beside him on the pier and after a couple of moments, Handy leant on his shoulder, thankful for the support.

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said anything, and it’s not my business, you guys are obviously all missing her terribly”

“Well … it hasn’t been easy” Clumsy gulped “She had ta make a choice between helpin’ her grove and our village or givin’ it up and stayin’ here with the boys. Ah knew it was gonna be hard on her but ah didn’t want her to resent us if we made her stay so … ah let her go. Ah loved her – uh, ah love her still but we’re needed in different places”

Handy blinked, touched by the other’s story, especially now he had more context for it. It struck a chord with him – much like the village needed him and Atlantica needed Marina, their love just couldn’t cross duty, but it didn’t make it less real.

“Ah know ah’m not the smartest Smurf in the village but ah’ve always known enough to be kind to mah fellow Smurfs, and too maself too if ah can. Ah think it’s helpin’ me get over the hurt, an’ who knows? If Stormy finds herself another Smurf that can keep up with her adventurin’ well, ah’ll be mighty proud of her”

“Oh um … so you’re split that way?”

Clumsy shifted, slightly uncomfortable.

“Ah guess so, it’s not like either of us can just hold out forever”

“Yeah, I get your point” Handy sighed, bringing his knees under his chin.

The other gulped, twiddling his thumbs. He wanted to drop a hint, however subtle, but Clumsy had never been great at these sorts of things. Friendship, he could manage, talking to his best friend Brainy was no effort as they’d always sort of clicked. But telling more personal feelings to Handy? Clumsy gulped at the thought. But perhaps if he didn’t do it, he never would.

“Well, Crash an’ Bolt would benefit from havin’ another parent but … ah’ll manage fer now. And erm, ah really appreciate yer help, the boys have taken a shine to ya, Handy”

“Heh, I’m glad” Handy looked out at the ocean again. Yeah, Clusmy was right. He would always love Marina, a little part of him would never forget, but it didn’t have to be the end of his world. He had his friends, his new duties with Crash and Bolt and … well, Clumsy. Handy wasn’t quite sure what it was, but he knew he liked Clumsy too, perhaps a little more than he’d wanted to admit to himself before. The Smurf was endearing, for all his faults. For all the inventions he’d broken and times he’d slipped up, Handy still liked him. Maybe, just maybe, they were moving towards a better future.

Clumsy stood up to go, and Handy rose to his feet too, a bit too quickly, almost stumbling into him.

“Oops, and ah thought ah was called ‘Clumsy!”

Handy chuckled but went to hold his friend’s hand, but stopped just short of it. He had a lot of things to work out at that moment, and decided to give himself time.

“Thank you, Clumsy, for everything. I- I’ll see you guys tomorrow, yeah?”

The freckled Smurf smiled softly.

“Tomorrow”

Tomorrow was, after all, another day.


End file.
